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Welcome to the merged National Advisory Group (NAG) and SOPO (Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government) e-bulletin. Feel free to forward this email to your colleagues and / or suggest they sign up to receive it themselves.
This e-bulletin is now delivered through our corporate service which handles all of our e-bulletins and through which you can create or manage your subscriptions and read previous editions of this e-bulletin
Regulations making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment end today
The regulations making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment in health and social care ended this week on 15 March. In January, the government confirmed its intention to revoke vaccination as a condition of deployment, subject to consultation.
Following a public consultation, where 90 per cent of responses supported the removal of the legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed, the government is revoking the regulations this week.
Ukraine: Council exposure to Russian and Belarusian companies
On 11 March, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities wrote to councils about the government’s sanctions on Ukraine and Belarus.
In the letter, he urged them to keep up to date with the list of sanctions, which can be expected to grow, and confirms that UK legislation, guidance and updates are available on the Russia financial sanctions pages on GOV.UK.
The Secretary of State also urged councils to scrutinise their contracts and determine their exposure to Russian and Belarusian owned companies. He also confirmed that the government is exploring what options are possible to assist councils who are reconsidering their contracts and hoped to update councils as soon as practically possible.
Guidance: Gazprom energy supplies
The LGA continues to work closely with councils with Gazprom contracts as well as those with energy contracts that are up for renewal, feeding the concerns and issues of the sector into the on-going discussions with DLUHC and the Cabinet Office. The proposed Procurement Policy Note (PPN) is in the final ministerial sign process and hopefully with us soon.
At the request of councils’ procurement officers, we have circulated a guidance note on issues around contracting with certain bodies in light of the current crisis in the Ukraine - including responses to specific questions on their current contracts with Gazprom and related procurement issues. If you would like a copy of this guidance, please email guy.head@local.gov.uk
We have set up another follow-up meeting at 12pm on Monday 21 March to discuss updates. If your council has not received an invite to the meeting and you want to attend, please email guy.head@local.gov.uk to arrange an invitation. We would like to reiterate that we strongly advise you to speak to your own legal teams before you make any decisions on these matters.
Reminder: Consultation on Provider Selection Regime closes on 28 March
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a consultation on the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). The PSR is a new set of rules replacing the existing procurement rules for arranging health care services in England. Its introduction is subject to the passage of the Health and Care Bill through Parliament. The LGA is encouraging you to share your views and those of your members to shape the development of the regulations that will set out the PSR. The Provider Selection Regime (PSR) consultation is open until 28 March.
Guidance to help the construction industry improve the security and resilience of their business against cyber threats
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has partnered with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to produce this guidance to help small-to-medium sized construction businesses protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Recent high profile cyber-attacks against the construction industry illustrate how businesses of all sizes are being targeted by criminals. As the industry continues to embrace and adopt new digital ways of working, it is more important than ever to understand how you might be vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and what you can do to protect your business.
This guidance is aimed at small-to-medium sized businesses working in the construction industry and the wider supply chain (including the manufacture of building supplies, surveying, and the sale of buildings) – please feel free to pass it on to businesses in your supply chain
Greenhouse Gas Accounting Returns
The Greenhouse Gas Accounting tool is freely available for local authorities to download to help with their carbon emissions reporting. If you have already completed the tool for April 2020 to March 2021 carbon emissions and wish to be part of the benchmarking process, please submit your completed tool too ghgaccounting@localpartnerships.gov.uk where the data will then be uploaded to LGInform.
Local Government Procurement Expo (LGPE) – In-person
LGPE 2022 will take place at the Novotel London Hammersmith on 21 April in an innovative hybrid format, both live in venue with some elements streamed online.
For both buyers and suppliers within the local government marketplace, this is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and peers for a day of thought provoking discussion, education and debate.
LGPE is an event that brings together the local government community with the UK’s top suppliers, it’s hard to beat. For our members who have still to try LGPE, we encourage you to get involved! Not only is it a fantastic day of personal procurement training, but by attending, you will find out more about the key issues that affect all of us who work within local government in the UK
Tuesday 15 March, 10.30am–12pm
The LGA and the Business Services Association (BSA) are hosting this webinar on how councils can effectively collaborate with the private sector, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) and infrastructure providers to address the climate emergency – focusing on:
- What case studies on successful partnership working can teach us?
- In which areas has collaboration yielded results, and in which areas is there potential for further collaboration?
- What tools do local authorities have at their disposal to drive effective collaboration particularly with regard to the procurement process and what are the main barriers to overcome?
- What can the private and VCSE sectors in conjunction with local government offer to address the climate emergency and what may they need to offer that they are not currently?
Wednesday 30 March, 1pm–2pm
The Strategic Central Bureau Platform (SCBP) contract is a key Home Office contract. This platform provides the infrastructure for immigration officers to take fingerprints and acts as part of the Home Office biometrics programme. Following the end of SCBP’s existing contracts, a two-year procurement was run, which culminated in one new supplier taking over the services delivered by two incumbent suppliers. When did two become one? This session will examine how an organisation can move from multiple suppliers to a single supplier, while elaborating on how effective contract terms can be applied in this kind of procurement process.
Thursday 31 March, 2pm–3.30pm
E3M are pleased to invite you to the fourth webinar in the series linked to the E3M 'Procurement to Partnership' toolkit. This free webinar is aimed at commissioners from local public authorities, as well as leaders of social enterprises and other public benefit organisations, who want to explore new and more impactful ways of organising public services. With case studies from Plymouth and Croydon, the event will explore how local public authorities can work in partnership with social enterprises and the broader social economy to improve and develop local services through a relational approach to commissioning services.
Thursday 31 March, 11.30am-1.30pm
LHC is a provider of free-to-use framework agreements used by local authorities and they would like to invite LGA members to LHC London & South East’s Engage the Future: Collaboration & Community webinar.
Join the LHC team for a unique learning experience and an exclusive premier of a short film by We Rise Brixton, an award-winning community business with a mission to empower young people to create successful futures.
They’ll be coming together with specialist industry speakers to discuss how focusing on social value and community impact through collaboration and engagement has powerful effects on our work practices, design, and productivity in the public sector.
Wednesday 6 April, 1pm–2pm
The objective of 'skills bootcamps' such as this is to offer people training in the skills that employers are looking for. By upskilling trainees, 'skills bootcamps' serve to fill vacancies and offer employment. How does an organisation take part in market engagement which calls for defining the business needs of the entire labour market? This session delves into details of an unconventional pre-procurement process, explores the power of stakeholder feedback groups, and offers insights for those seeking to procure bespoke services.
27–28 April, 9am–5pm
Online, and at Church House, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN
The 5th annual National Social Value Conference will bring together social value experts and practitioners from a variety of sectors and industries across the UK. This year’s event marks the 10-year anniversary of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. And as we dive into ‘the social value decade’, you’ll hear from experts in the public, private and third sectors on the successes so far – and the challenges that lie ahead.
Thursday 28 April 2022, 10am–11.30am
The Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool has proven popular with local authorities for their emissions reporting since its launch in 2020. With feedback from users, it has undergone further development ahead of the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) conversion factors being released in June 2022. This webinar will discuss the improvements and changes to the tool, as well as providing guidance on Scope 3 emissions reporting.
27–28 April, 9am–5pm | Online, and at Church House, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN
The 5th annual National Social Value Conference will bring together social value experts and practitioners from a variety of sectors and industries across the UK. This year’s event marks the 10-year anniversary of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. And as we dive into ‘the social value decade’, you’ll hear from experts in the public, private and third sectors on the successes so far – and the challenges that lie ahead.
The LGA Procurement team manages several LGA webpages dedicated to your needs. Please email guy.head@local.gov.uk if you would like any information added to our webpages:
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